Journal of the American College of Surgeons
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Multicenter Study
National trends in adolescent bariatric surgical procedures and implications for surgical centers of excellence.
Bariatric surgery is indicated for severely obese adolescents who have failed nonsurgical treatment. Our objective was to examine national trends in the use of bariatric operations among adolescents. ⋯ Our findings indicate a recent, rapid increase in the frequency of adolescent bariatric procedures. Most hospitals that performed bariatric procedures on adolescents had limited experience with adolescent bariatric patients, although many of these hospitals appear to have been experienced adult centers with high overall bariatric volume (adolescents and adults). Future research must better clarify the institutional qualifications considered mandatory for treatment of eligible adolescents.